Suspension-bridge



3 Sheets-fleet E. E. RUNYON.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE.

-( No Model.)

Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

.No. 394,940 v JYzimsm.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3..

E. E. RUNYON.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE. N0. 39 940. I Patented-Dec. 18, 1-888. I 1-! 5 [I H 1Jlfiinsws, invader;

f5 45;, 6349mm Hi5 f) iiorney.

TINTTED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

EDYVIN ELIJAH RUNYON, OF MOUNTAIN SPRING, TEXAS.

SUSPENSION-BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,940, dated December18, 1888. Applicatioh filed June 29, 1888. erial No. 278,596. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN ELIJAH RUN- YON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Mountain Spring, in the county of Cooke and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges; andI do declare the t'ollmving to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to bridges; and its objects are, first, to transmita given pressure equally in either direction therefrom to the piers orabutments second, to balance a given pressure irrespective of itslocation; third, to provide an elastic yieh'ling road-bed or flooringwhich will transmit the pressure of an incumbent weight or strain;fourth, to increase the length or span over existing conditions; fifth,to dispense with piers, except on the shore margins; sixth, tofacilitate the constructhim and increase the life of bridges, and,seventh, to accomplish these aims with structural simplicity andeconomy. I accomplish these ends bythe devices illustrated on theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofa bridge operatively embodying the essential elements of my invention.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing the .tlooringpartly laid.Fig. is an enlarged detail view of the bridge-supports. Fig. i is aplan. view of the adjustable clamp by which the altitude of the bridgeis regulated. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same. Fig. (3 is a detailview of one bearing in which the tubular metallic braces are held. Fig.(3 is an end view thereof. Fig. 7 is a detail ot the brace that supportsthe flooring. Fig. 8 represents a detail view of the spool whoseprojecting pins from either face of different diameter fit,respectively, into the supporting-columnand the mud-sill, thusconnecting them; and Fig. 9 represents a central vertical section of acolumn, showing-the relative position of the spool.

The same designations indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

It is greatly desirable to make a single span from shore to shore, or atmost to have but one pier embedded in the river, because of thediliiculty in sinking COffGPdZUHS and finding strata of sulticientdensity to form stable anchors for the piers. It is moreover desirablein constructing abridge that as few nails be used in securing theflooring as consistently possible, because of the tendency to impair thewood by their oxidation. It is furthermore a desideratum that theflooring should have an elastic basis which will transmit the pressureof the incumbent weight and thus diminish the strain of the piers andthe connecting-cables. To practicalize all these aims in asimply-constructed bridge is therefore the purpose to which my inventionis addressed.

Suitable cables, A, formed of continuous twisted wires are stretchedbetween the shorelines J J, and are secured therein by embedded anchors.They pass over and rest upon the clamp L, supported on the pier-colmnns(1i, and the tubular intermediate braces, D, and constitute the basisFor the flooring B, which is preferably grooy'ed or rabbeted, so thatadjoining faces will interlock. The columns G, held in the anchoringmud-sills K by the spool g, (shown in Fig. 8,) so that the greater pin,g,will be held in the base of the column by frictional contact merely,and the smaller pin, will be similarly retained in the mud-sill K, areencircled near the top by the adjustable clamp L, having perforations 1,terminal bolts 1, and binding screw Z Resting upon the clamp is thegrooved crossbar I, having grooves i, for the passage of the cables A,and. in which the short columns G are terminally embedded, being stayedby nails 0. The outer columns, G, are higher than the intermediate onesG, and pass through the clamp L, and are capped by a cross-piece, ll,having pin it, and groove 71/, over which the supporting-cables E Epass, that relieve and transmit the strain 011 the tubular braces D, towhich they are fixedly secured by reason of insertion between the head(1 of the brace D and the clamp d, in which the brace is terminally heldby bolts d Short cables E holding the side supp0rts,D, pass over thecross-piece H, adjacently t0 the cables E in the same groove. Thesesupports need he stayed from one side only, because the clamps d aremade fast to the bridge by reason of the bolts (1* clinching thereinwhen driven.

F represents the posts having grooves in which a railing, E, is carried,and a baseboard, f, is secured thereto.

It will be understood that the twisted wire cables A, anchored at eitherend, pass over the cross-bar I and the tubular braces I). The braces Dtransmit received pressure to the columns G through the cables E E,which are also anchored at the same place. The flooring l is then laidso that adjacent surfaces shall interlock by reason of dovetailing orotherwise. The highest point of the bridge will be in the center, and itwill decline gradually in either direction therefrom. By reason of theelasticity of the cables the longet'ityof the bridge will be greatlypromoted, because the strain is thus transmitted.

llaving thus fully described my improvements, what I claim is-- 1. Thetubular columns G, in combination with the grooved cross-piece ll,having pin 71,

ameter projecting from opposite faces, and

the mud-sill K.

2. The tubular columns G l and the mudsill K, suitably connected, asshown, in combination with the grooved cross-bar I, over which thecables A pass, and the adjustable clamp L, 011 which the bar I rests.

3. The cables A, in combination with the braces I), having terminalheads (1 and held in elain 'is (Z, and the supporting-eables E E securedbetween said heads and clamps.

4-. The cables A, in combination with the braces I), having terminalheads (1' and held in clamps (Z, the cables E the columns G G,supporting grooved cross-bar I, and the adj ustable clamp L, on whichthe bar I rests.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EIHVIN ELl'JAl-l RUNYON.

\Vitnesses: I

W'. R. llIAD'DUX,

l3. IloooE.

